This map shows where Whole Foods, which is causing controversy in Mountain Lakes and Parsippany with residents who do not want to disrupt the natural beauty of the area with a shopping center, would potentially be built.

This map shows where Whole Foods, which is causing controversy in Mountain Lakes and Parsippany with residents who do not want to disrupt the natural beauty of the area with a shopping center, would potentially be built.

MOUNTAIN LAKES – Residents are furious over a proposed plan to change the zoning of the Waterview section and a RD Realty plan to build a Whole Foods market on a 27-acre undeveloped piece of land.

The proposal will change the zoning of the 27-acre totally wooded area located at the intersection of Route 46 West and Intervale Road, which is part of the larger 132-acre tract of land – all zoned Planned Office Development and runs along Route 46 West in Parsippany.

“When I first heard about this development, I thought it would wonderful to be near a Whole Foods and that was the extent of my interest,” said Ball Road resident Gretchen Fry. “I couldn’t have been more wrong. In my fifteen years of living in this area, I now realize this rezoning has the potential for the most lasting environmental devastation I have ever seen.”

Frey said that if the rezoning proposal passes, it will not only affect the 27 acres currently being discussed, but will allow the entire “Waterview” area where the corporate offices are, from Route 46 across from the Homegoods strip mall and the Parsippany Police station to Intervale in Mountain Lakes, to be rezoned for commercial use with giant shopping malls, hotels, townhouses, etc.

“Even if it stays at the rezoned 27 acres for now, we can still say goodbye to our clean air, our woodland buffers, good water supply, relatively easy commute, crime-free and noise-free existence. Say hello to urban sprawl with traffic congestion, more water restrictions, more businesses elsewhere closing, fear of crime, noise and light pollution, complete destruction of animals habitats and the last parcel of undeveloped land in our area forever, etc. And all this for what again,” asked Frey.

Frey added that the project probably wouldn’t make much money for Parsippany as the property values and tax base declines because the existing businesses move or foreclose and additional costs increase with so many new children in the schools.

”I really think that every single person in Parsippany and Mountain Lakes has a stake in the outcome of this proposal,” Frey said.

Despite the efforts of the hundreds of residents who oppose the plan, the Planning Board voted to have its attorney draft a letter requesting the council to prepare an ordinance for an overlay zone.

This was essentially deciding to take the next step, according to Parsippany officials. Once the letter is drafted it will most likely end up on a March council agenda for further discussion.

Somewhere around this time is when Parsippany officials will have to bring in environmental experts to research the impact the proposal will have. Doing the environmental testing before then would have been premature, Parsippany Planning Board officials said.

The issue first became known to Mountain Lakes residents after Rebecca L. Lubetkin, a resident of Robinhood Drive, alerted fellow residents to the proposal. Lubetkin has been involved in the citizen run Don’t Rezone Waterview, a group which has since organized and sent members to speak on behalf of Mountain Lakes residents at meetings in Parsippany and Mountain Lakes.

“This group is comprised of residents from Parsippany, Mountain Lakes, and other neighboring towns who are furious at this developer’s proposal to rezone an undeveloped 27 acre property at the corner of Route 46 West and Intervale Road (owned by Mountain Lakes) as well as an apparent attempt to rezone the entire 132-acre tract of land currently zoned for office development and known as Waterview Corporate Park, with 200 foot woodland buffer zones to protect adjoining properties and reasonable far footprints for office buildings,” said du Tertre.

Watch this discussion.Stop watching this discussion.

(0) comments

Welcome to the discussion.

Be Yourself. We do not accept and will not approve
anonymous comments. If your username is not your name, please sign
your posts as you would a letter to the editor with your full name
and hometown.Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd,
racist or sexually-oriented language.PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another
person will not be tolerated.Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone
or anything.Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism
that is degrading to another person.Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on
each comment to let us know of abusive posts.Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness
accounts, the history behind an article.